


Like Lightning

by niigoki



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 20:16:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16226546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niigoki/pseuds/niigoki
Summary: “Can you pretend to be my girlfriend for two weeks?”





	Like Lightning

**Author's Note:**

> The Fake Dating!AU we needed

_“Your cousin is getting married.”_ Nayeon’s mother greeted her with this sentence after not speaking to her in almost two weeks due to their latest argument. She couldn’t blame her; it’s not like she made an effort to call back, either.

“…Wait, which one?” Was the first thing Nayeon needed to know, because she had quite a big family and distant cousins. “Is it Yeri? Because if it is I’ll have to kill her.” She really couldn’t bear the fact that her baby cousin was going to marry before her.

_“No, it’s Sooyoung.”_

“Oh, thank God.” A pause, then a frown. “Wait, which Sooyoung?”

 _“Your cousin Ha Sooyoung.”_ Her mother’s patience seemed to be getting thin.

“Fuck!”

 _“Language, Nayeon.”_ The woman sighed _. “Anyway, she invited us to go, so I suggest you start looking for pretty dresses. You can’t wear any of your old ones.”_

“What, why?” Someone beside her blew smoke on her direction and Nayeon squinted her eyes, waving the smell away with one hand. She didn’t smoke, but the company’s balcony was the only place she could talk somewhat privately on the phone during lunch break. “They’re in great condition.”

_“You’ve worn them before and everyone will notice.”_

“So? Let them.”

 _“I also suggest you bring someone with you,”_ Her mother ignored her, voice cold like ice. _“You know they’ll talk if you show up alone.”_

That really made Nayeon’s blood boil. She absolutely hated formal events – and that side of the family for that matter – so hearing her mother side with her worst relatives as she always did was a pain in the ass. Not to mention the fact that Nayeon was as single as she could be, without a living soul nearby that she could potentially introduce to the family in order to lower suspicions. Her aunts and uncles would gossip and stare the whole night, and her mother would give her that signature disapproving look whenever they were alone. Nayeon knew that being the only single person at that wedding would be worse than repeating a damn dress.

Still, what could she do?

She was about to confess that no, she didn’t have a date to bring with her, when her mother interrupted once more.

_“Not that you have anyone. Stubborn as you are.”_

That hurt her pride.

“For your knowledge, I do have someone, thank you very much.” The words were out before she could think about it. “Not that I’d tell you, unpleasant as you are.”

 _“Oh?”_ She could almost hear the smirk dripping from her mother’s face. _“Is that so?”_

“Yeah. That is so.” Nayeon’s grip on the phone was dangerous, and she decided that she didn’t want to talk to that old woman anymore. “Now excuse me, I need to go back to work. Bye.”

And with a press of a button, she hung up without even hearing a goodbye. Now she remembered why they hadn’t talk in so long.

Nayeon left the balcony, the smell of cigarettes impregnated on her clothes now, causing her to be even more stressed. She walked with quick steps back to her desk, and after bumping into two people on the way and apologizing, she finally reached her chair and sat back down with a heavy sigh. There were still a couple of minutes for her break to be officially over, so she leaned her forehead on both hands and closed her eyes, thinking about the stupid mistake she’d just made.

She hated when her pride got in the way of common sense. Her mother seemed to be amazing at making sure that happened, which always prompted things to go her way in the end. Nayeon was too old to still be falling for her tricks like that.

And yet, there she was – freaking out, because now she absolutely _had_ to get a date, and _had_ to rub in her mother’s face how good she was doing on her own.

She had no idea how she would do this.

 _Tinder,_ Nayeon thought, opening her eyes after a short meditation session. She grabbed her phone, hands shaking. Her mother had sent her a text message.

 

 **[Mom, 13:59]:** _The wedding is in two weeks. Don’t break up until then._

 

“Ugh,” Nayeon grunted and almost hit the phone on her desk. The only reason she didn’t do it was because she was still paying.

A sudden knock on the wood in front of her made her lift her head, and her coworker’s worried face came into view.

“Are you okay?” The girl asked.

Nayeon blushed, completely forgetting that she wasn’t alone in the room. “Y-yeah. I’m fine, just… family issues.”

“Oh… I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s fine. Sorry to disturb you, Momo.”

“You didn’t,” Momo smiled, her features bright and cheerful. “I can’t really go back to work until I receive an email, so I wasn’t doing anything.”

Nayeon didn’t know why, but that simple sentence made the corners of her lips turn upwards slightly. “How long have you been waiting?”

“Fifteen minutes.”

“I figured.”

The two giggled together, and Nayeon felt a bit better.

Momo was her new desk partner, and they’ve been working together for about three weeks. Working at an advertising agency was tough, and the girl had been extremely clueless at the beginning; with Nayeon’s guidance, however, she managed to pick up the pace of the job fairly quickly. Momo still asked questions when important emails arrived, but overall, their relationship was nice and peaceful.

They’ve never been too close, which was a shame. Nayeon had always wanted to get to know her better, but their break times never matched, and the chaotic schedule didn’t help. So far, all they really did together was panic over deadlines and desperate clients.

“Do you want to vent?” Momo asked after a silent pause, and Nayeon just stared. Her head wasn’t clear enough for her to go back to work right away, and Momo was idle as well, so that could be her chance to finally get to know her coworker better. Too bad the whole situation with her mom was rather ridiculous, now that she thought about it.

This only frustrated Nayeon, because she really wanted to chat with Momo. How could she possibly get closer to her if she wasted every single opportunity—

It was right then that an idea hit her.

And once again, Nayeon spoke before thinking.

“Can you pretend to be my girlfriend for two weeks?”

The silence was brutal and Nayeon wanted to smash her face against the desk. What the hell was her problem today? First her mother, now her coworker – Nayeon was starting to understand why she was single. Maybe her mom had a point.

Momo wasn’t blinking – she wasn’t even breathing – and after a couple of seconds of pure agony, Nayeon opened her mouth again to apologize for the sudden crazy question.

“Okay.” Momo interrupted.

This time, Nayeon was the one who was left speechless. “Wait, what?”

“You seem like you’re in trouble. I want to help.” The way Momo smiled was sweet. “Also, maybe this can be an excuse for me to get to know you better, finally.”

The last sentence caught Nayeon off guard. She wasn’t aware that Momo wanted to be her friend as much as Nayeon wanted to be hers; usually her coworkers didn’t interact much with her. Maybe they all thought Nayeon was crazy with her mumbles and frustrated grunts every now and then. She didn’t blame them, but it did make her feel terribly lonely sometimes.

“I think I’m going to cry.” Nayeon let out in a breath, making Momo reach out for her hand and laugh.

“Don’t cry! I promise I’ll be a good pretend girlfriend,” She rubbed her thumb on Nayeon’s skin. It calmed her down. “Uh… if you’ll have me.”

The gesture brought heat to Nayeon’s cheeks.

_Wow, the lack of physical contact has been really affecting me, huh._

“Yes, please.” Nayeon’s voice was meek.

Another smile, another heartbeat, and then Momo’s computer made a sound, notifying her that her email was finally here. Momo sighed, getting back to work, and Nayeon missed her hand as soon as she removed it from her own.

 

\--

 

What Nayeon didn’t expect was how seriously Momo had meant it when she said she’d be a good pretend girlfriend.

Nayeon’s shift usually ended two hours later than Momo’s, so they never left the agency together; another shame, because every time the other girls went out to drink after work, Momo was never invited because she was already long gone. Nayeon could never bring herself to ask her to stay two more hours, so she simply drank her beer with a guilty feeling in her stomach.

When Momo left her desk, she would always say goodbye first, waving from afar as she walked past Nayeon – this time, however, she put one hand on Nayeon’s shoulder and bent over to press a gentle kiss to the crown of her head.

“See you tomorrow.” Her voice was soft and warm, and Nayeon simply froze. She turned her head to follow Momo with her eyes on her way out, and when the girl was out of sight, Nayeon finally blinked. She suddenly felt her throat closing, and had to reach for her water to calm herself down. Even her hands were trembling.

“Get a grip, Im Nayeon.” She whispered to herself, putting the bottle down. That was just an unexpected gesture, that’s all. Momo was just trying to adjust to this whole situation before the wedding. She seemed to understand her predicament when she explained it to her earlier, and Nayeon was grateful for the effort. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Two hours later, Nayeon turned off her computer, and finally left the room.

She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw Momo sitting down on the lobby’s couch, reading a magazine to pass the time. “Momo! What are you doing here?”

Momo looked up and her features brightened. “I decided to wait for you. Can I take you home?”

This girl was going to kill her. “You waited here for two hours?”

“Yes.”

“Momo, you didn’t have to—”

“I wanted to,” She put the magazine down and got up. She had loosened her tie and looked incredibly pretty in the lowlight. “We never go home together, and I don’t really have anything planned for tonight, so I thought it was a good idea.” She stopped, fidgeting with her sleeves. “I’m sorry, was this… out of line?”

“No! No, I was just—” Nayeon had no idea what she wanted to say. “Surprised. No one’s ever… walked home with me before.” She cursed herself internally after that. God, she sounded like a needy child.

Momo softened her gaze. “Never?” Nayeon shook her head. This just prompted Momo to walk up to her with a fragile smile and take Nayeon’s hand. “Well, now I can brag about being the first person to walk my pretend-girlfriend home.”

This only made Nayeon snort, and then she felt herself being pulled out of the building. “Do you even know where I live?”

“Nope.”

“Okay, you’re going the wrong way.” Nayeon didn’t expect to laugh so much on a Monday night, but there she was. The giddy feeling on her stomach was definitely not because of Momo holding her hand like her life depended on it. “Come on, dumb-dumb, follow me to the station.”

Momo just giggled and it was stupidly endearing. Nayeon regretted not chatting with her earlier.

They walked hand-in-hand to the train station, talking about pointless things. Nayeon had never felt more at home with someone she barely knew, and by the time they got on the train, Momo had told her pretty much everything about her life.

Momo had a sister, and loved dogs despite being allergic to them. She had moved to the city not long ago, and was still getting used to it – hence the mistakes she made along the way. She got lost a lot, but thanks to her phone, she managed to find her way on the map. She loved meat and worked out constantly, always going to the gym in the morning before work. Nayeon whistled at that, impressed at her motivation. She could never bring herself to do it.

“Maybe I could help you get motivated one day.” Momo said with a wink, and Nayeon rolled her eyes, nudging her with her elbow.

“I might love my pretend-girlfriend, but not to that extent.”

“Worth a try.”

It was easy. Talking to Momo made her feel light. Nayeon wondered if she would ever find a girlfriend that made her feel like that.

Finally arriving at her station, they got off the train, still chatting. Momo had to stop on the way to pet a Labrador, which made Nayeon blush, because the smile Momo reserved for dogs was unlike any other, and maybe the prettiest thing she’s ever seen.

_Wow, I really am going soft. This will be easier than I thought._

Her heart skipped a beat when she realized that Momo hadn’t let go of her hand, even while petting the puppy.

“Well, here we are.” Nayeon said, finally arriving at the porch of her house.

“You live in a house!” Momo, for some reason, found this fact to be very exciting. Nayeon giggled.

“You make it sound like you’ve never seen a house in your life.”

“I’ve never seen your house in my life. It’s a nice discovery.”

Nayeon yelped and slapped Momo’s shoulder gently, making the girl laugh. “God, if I knew you’d be this cheesy I would’ve gone for Tinder.”

“Cheesy is convincing, at least. If your mom starts being all suspicious I can just tire her out with my pickup lines.”

“You’re not using pickup lines on my mother.”

“What— no! On you!”

This time Nayeon was the one who laughed, making Momo cross her arms and stick her tongue out. They looked like kids arguing.

“Well… thank you for accompanying me all the way here,” Nayeon paused with flushed cheeks and a soft smile. Then, she blinked. “You… know how to go back to your home, right?”

Momo took her phone out of her pocket. “Not really, but how hard can it be?”

“Momo…” Nayeon sighed. “Give me that, let me at least give you directions.”

She checked the girl’s address and was surprised to see that she didn’t live far from her. After explaining in an easy manner how to navigate the confusing streets, Momo put her phone in the pocket again, and turned to her with another smile.

“Thank you for the patience.”

“Don’t mention it.” Nayeon returned the expression.

“Well, goodnight, then. See you tomorrow, Nayeon.”

And Nayeon had no idea why, but she expected something else. When Momo simply turned around and started walking away, she felt a pang of sadness in her heart. Nayeon stood there, rooted in place as she watched the girl disappear in the distance, and scratched the back of her head as soon as Momo was out of sight.

“Right,” Nayeon muttered to herself with a nod, walking into her house. “Don’t be an idiot.”

The heavy feeling in her stomach didn’t disappear.

 

\--

 

Nayeon was afraid that things would be awkward the next day.

They weren’t.

“Good morning.” Momo sounded sleepy when Nayeon got into their office. She gave her a soft smile.

“Hey,” Nayeon put her bag under her desk and hung her coat, stretching her aching muscles. She was about to sit, when she saw the cup of coffee in front of her computer. “What’s this?”

“Made you some coffee,” Momo said, without tearing her eyes off her keyboard as she typed an important e-mail. “You always get a cup when you arrive, thought I could save you the trouble.”

The feeling in Nayeon’s stomach was back and she sat down shyly. “You didn’t have to—”

“If you say that to every nice thing I do to you, your mom won’t buy it, you know.”

There was no poison in Momo’s words, just a tiny little smirk. She still hadn’t looked at her in the eyes, too busy with whatever issue their boss had conjured up, so Nayeon could only sigh and murmur a small thank you. She brought the cup to her lips; it was warm and sweet. Momo had added more sugar. Nayeon didn’t hate it.

She felt a slight kick on her foot under the desk and looked up. Momo was still typing, but smiling.

Nayeon kicked back. They played footsie for a minute, then both snorted.

They didn’t talk after that, but the silence was pleasant. It was the nicest start of the day Nayeon’s ever had.

 

\--

 

Momo’s fountain of nice gestures and cheesy lines was endless apparently, and Nayeon found herself getting used to it all as the days went by. She forced herself to accept all the coffee cups, umbrellas and walks home with an open heart, and having someone to talk to at the end of the day was incredibly relieving. She felt really bad the first three times, because Momo had to wait for her in the lobby for two hours, but on the fourth night, Nayeon decided to let it go and appreciate it fully.

Momo always held her hand. Nayeon got used to it.

“Do you think the puppy will be there today?”

“Just admit that the reason you walk home with me every day now is because that guy takes his dog for a walk at this hour.” Nayeon teased.

“Of course it is, why else would I waste two hours of my day waiting for you?” Momo spit back, but Nayeon felt the grip on her hand tightening. Her heart leaped a beat again, and she just shoved Momo to the side with an eye-roll.

The dog was there, and when Nayeon heard Momo’s laugh, she thought that maybe it was all worth it in the end.

Momo had finally memorized her way back home after getting Nayeon safe and sound to the porch of her house; she said it was an upgrade to their relationship and Nayeon just giggled.

“Tomorrow, same time?” Momo said, letting go of Nayeon’s hand.

“I have nothing to do anyway.” Nayeon replied.

She expected Momo to just laugh and leave, but this time there was a silent pause as they stared at each other for a second too long. Nayeon felt her stomach turning a little at the intensity of Momo’s gaze and started playing with the hem of her shirt. “What?”

Momo opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. Then she grinned a little, shaking her head. “Nothing. Never mind. See you, Nayeonnie.”

The nickname was new, but not unwelcomed. “O-okay. Bye, Momo.”

Momo finally turned around and Nayeon could breathe again. She realized that she was still expecting something to happen, even though she shouldn’t be. Or should she? Momo had looked at her weird, and it seemed like she wanted to say something else. Then why didn’t she? Was Nayeon intimidating? Maybe she should’ve pushed her to tell her whatever was on her mind at that moment. But now it was too late. Or was it? She could text her and ask. No, this was something they had to talk about face-to-face. Wait, was it? There was nothing there in the first place.

Nayeon groaned loudly and walked in, ruffling her hair with a sigh. She was overthinking.

“This is dumb.”

 

\--

 

“One week until the big day, huh?” Momo started the day with this question. It was Friday, and Nayeon couldn’t wait for the weekend.

“Yeah. Can’t wait to see all the successful and married family members.” Nayeon let out in a groan as she hung her coat and sat back down. Her usual cup of coffee was there again, and that made her smile despite the bad mood. “Thank you.”

“We should go on a date.”

Nayeon was glad that she hadn’t picked up the cup or else she would have spilled the hot beverage all over her keyboard. “Huh?”

“To practice,” Momo explained. “We’ve only been chatting after work, we should go out and have some fun together outside of this cubicle.”

“That’s…” Nayeon paused, feeling the blush creeping behind her neck. She tried to think about an excuse not to do this, but then she realized that there was none. This was actually a good idea, and since it was all pretend, she didn’t have to worry about embarrassing herself in front of her. It’s not like she had a reputation in Momo’s eyes anyway – Momo had seen her yell over the phone more times than she could count, and still hadn’t given up on the whole pretend-girlfriend thing. If there was someone who knew Nayeon and her horrible mood swings was Momo.

Gathering her thoughts, she finally grabbed her coffee, taking a sip before speaking. “Okay. Where should we go?”

“There is an arcade near my building. It’s right next to the movies and a restaurant. We could play for a bit, then watch something, then eat dinner. What do you say?”

Nayeon blinked, then smirked. “Why does it sound like you’ve been planning this for a while?”

“Maybe I have.” Was all Momo said, and that really shut Nayeon up.

The phone rang before she could ask her anything, and she had to pick up. They didn’t speak about it for the rest of the day.

Nothing eventful happened throughout the day, and in the evening, their boss called the both of them saying that they could leave earlier than usual. That lifted Nayeon’s spirit absurdly, not only because she would finally be able to leave together with Momo this time, but also because—

Well. She wouldn’t have to make Momo wait.

_When did my life start revolving around Momo?_

“That’s the first time Mr. Park is nice to me,” Momo couldn’t help but to say as she gathered her things to leave, making her coworker laugh. “It’s true!”

“He’s hard to deal with, but he’s not a bad guy.” Nayeon said, watching the girl’s movements with a soft gaze. “Trust me, it could be worse.”

“I trust you.” Was all she said, lifting up her gaze to smile at her, then finally getting up.

After turning off the lights and locking the door, the two left the office, walking side by side. For some reason this simple gesture made Nayeon feel fuzzy inside, and she couldn’t stop a dumb grin from spreading on her face. This was so nice.

“You’re really looking forward to our date, huh?” Momo broke the silence and Nayeon turned to her.

“H-huh?”

She pointed to Nayeon’s face. “Smiley, smiley.”

“I’m just happy I left early, don’t be so conceited.”

Momo just laughed, and Nayeon wanted to smack her, because she couldn’t stop smiling despite everything. She was sure she was blushing, too. God, she was really a mess; making things weird now would ruin her façade with her mother. She had to get a grip.

As soon as they reached the lobby, Momo stopped on her tracks, making Nayeon nearly trip on her. “Hm? What’s wrong?”

“You go ahead.”

Nayeon blinked, her heart twisting in her chest uncomfortably. “Why?”

“I want you to look forward to tomorrow,” Was all Momo answered with an honest grin. “We see each other every day, it’s no fun if you don’t miss me a little every now and then.”

It felt like the Earth had ceased to spin for a second as Nayeon processed the words. If it was anyone else, that sentence would’ve come out as awfully rude and cocky, but the woman in front of her was nothing but good-spirited and charming – that was a lethal combo, as Nayeon was starting to realize. Those simple words were enough to make her bite her lower lip and almost whine for her come along, but that would’ve been stupid.

“Whatever,” Nayeon said eventually, turning around. To hide her blush, maybe. “Goodnight then, Miss Jerk!”

She only heard Momo’s comforting laugh and wished it was closer to her ear. “See you tomorrow.”

Nayeon turned around and left, and the first step already felt weird. The second was worse. She could only sigh.

Nayeon had almost forgotten what true loneliness felt like. The train ride reminded her. She didn’t like the feeling. Momo’s words rang inside her head.

_‘It’s no fun if you don’t miss me a little every now and then.’_

Nayeon hated how the response to that had been at the very tip of her tongue.

_I miss you as soon as you leave. Idiot._

 

\--

 

Nayeon wasn’t good at games. She didn’t tell Momo that when she brought up the arcade because she was sure that she would be able to nail at least _one_ of the countless games in that place, but the universe was keen on proving her wrong, apparently.

She got hit in the head with a basketball. “Ouch!”

“Careful!” Momo was by her side immediately, trying her very best to hold back her laughter. “Don’t throw it so strongly.”

“This game hates me.” Nayeon pouted as Momo rubbed her head gently.

“You said that about the previous games, too.”

“All of them hate me!” Nayeon grabbed another ball, throwing it carelessly at the hoop. She missed it. “Ugh, let’s go shoot something.”

Momo just giggled as Nayeon took her hand and dragged her to another machine.

This time they had to survive a virtual zombie apocalypse. Nayeon was doing quite well in this game, but she did get bitten twice in a short amount of time. Her frustrated grunts made Momo pay more attention to her partner, and start saving her ass every time a zombie showed up at Nayeon’s side of the screen. As a result, however, Momo started losing her own life, and in the end, she died first.

“Go on… without me…” Momo fake-cried, putting the gun back on its holder and sinking down to the floor. “You can do it…”

“N-no, wait, there’s too many of them!” Nayeon started getting overwhelmed at the zombies coming at her and began shooting everywhere. “Momo, come back! Put in another coin!”

“It’s too late… I can feel myself turning…” She grabbed the hem of Nayeon’s pants and pulled herself up. “You have to shoot me… Nayeonnie…”

“Stop, you’re distracting me!” She couldn’t focus on the screen with Momo’s ridiculously endearing act going on.

“If you don’t, then… I’ll have to take you with me…!” Momo jumped to her feet then, hugging Nayeon from behind. This only made Nayeon lose her grip on the world because – one, Momo had never hugged her before and she was very warm, and two, she was using the same perfume she always used, so the familiar scent made Nayeon feel dizzy. The zombies killed her in the end, and Nayeon just whined.

“See what you made me do? I was winning on this one!” Nayeon put her arms down, trying to calm her beating heart.

Momo just laughed and swayed with her in her arms left and right. “Sorry to break it to you, but you were only winning because I was saving your helpless ass.”

“No, you weren’t!”

“Yeah, I was. That’s why I died.” Her voice was lower because she was speaking close to Nayeon’s ear. “It’s okay, though, as long as you had fun for a little longer.”

Momo finally let her go, and Nayeon tried to give her a proper sarcastic comeback, but nothing came. She was still shaking a little. The fake gun was still in her hands, so she put it away first.

“Hey, you okay?” Momo asked after the weird awkward silence. “You’re a bit red.”

“I’m fine. Let’s just g-go, I’m starving.” And because she didn’t want to make it worse, Nayeon grabbed Momo’s hand again, and dragged her out of the arcade.

She could hear Momo saying something about getting a prize with the tickets they had won, but her voice was muffled in the back. The blood pounding in Nayeon’s ears was too loud.

Nayeon felt Momo intertwining their fingers and sighed.

_What is wrong with me today?_

 

\--

 

After much discussion, Momo and Nayeon decided to watch a romantic comedy. Momo wasn’t a fan of horror movies and Nayeon didn’t want to spend two hours watching the sequel of a cartoon she’s never seen before, so they compromised. Momo bought the popcorn and candy because Nayeon had paid for their dessert back at the restaurant, so she said it was just fair.

Despite the entertaining scenes happening on the screen in front of her, Nayeon couldn’t pay attention to the movie. Her head was all over the place – the wedding, the fake dating, her mom, the fact that Momo was playing her role so well that it sometimes did things to Nayeon’s heart.

This whole thing was supposed to kill two birds with one stone – getting Nayeon’s mother off her back, and getting to know Momo better through a funny experience – but it was clear that it had just backfired. Momo was too good of a girlfriend, and Nayeon had no idea if she would be able to keep this going much longer. She didn’t want to ruin their friendship, because she was genuinely cherishing it more than she could ever express. She’d gotten used to Momo.

Not having her around was unthinkable at this point. Nayeon would have to sit down with her and discuss this arrangement before she ruined everything.

A sudden hand landed on top of hers and Nayeon stared at Momo. The girl was paying attention to the movie, tears in her eyes as she smiled softly. Nayeon turned to see what was happening onscreen.

The main couple was sharing their first kiss. It was very awkward and they laughed, then the man pulled the woman into another kiss, and another one. Then, they laughed again, like their whole lives had been leading up to this point, and the man put on a song on the radio, so they could dance around the kitchen like fools in love.

After a while, the scene faded to black, and another started.

Momo dried her tears, and Nayeon teased her a little to try to cheer her up. “Now I see why you’re so cheesy. You cry at romantic comedies.”

Momo shrugged. “I just think it’s nice. To find someone you love so much, and see that they love you back.”

Her voice tone was neutral, and Nayeon felt her throat closing. “Yeah…” She didn’t want to say it, but once again, the words slipped. “I wonder what that’s like.”

Momo just turned her head to stare at her for a moment and smiled a little. Then she paid attention to the movie again, rubbing her thumb on Nayeon’s knuckles. None of them spoke after that.

Nayeon could only breathe properly again when the credits rolled.

 

\--

 

Their date was supposed to end with a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant, but the place was absurdly crowded when the two pretend-girlfriends got there. Teenagers yelled left and right with their parents and groups of friends, and Nayeon’s head was going to burst if they stayed there for an extended period of time. Momo suggested them to go to another restaurant one block away, but no luck there either; everywhere just seemed packed with people.

“Where did all these people even come from?” Momo asked herself, then felt Nayeon pulling her sleeve.

“Probably from there.” She pointed with her thumb to a parking lot filled with tourist buses.

“Oh, right. Vacations start for high schoolers today.” She sighed, dropping her shoulders. “I guess no fancy dinner date for us, then…”

And Nayeon didn’t know if it was the absolute heartbreak in Momo’s voice or just another stupid impulse that she had to follow, but ending this date with Momo’s sad face ingrained in her brain was just not happening.

“Let’s eat at my place, then.”

Momo blinked, lifting her head. “Your place?”

“Yeah,” Nayeon crossed her arms. “I’ll let you know I’m actually a very good cook.”

“N-no, no, I wasn’t implying—” Momo raised her hands and it was the first time since this whole ordeal started that Nayeon saw a faint red tint on her coworker’s cheeks. Making Momo shy was kind of fun.

“Then stop complaining,” Nayeon just took her by the hand and started walking. She thought that she’d be met with a bit more resistance, but when Momo’s hand slid up and she looped her arm around Nayeon’s to hold her close, Nayeon stopped thinking altogether.

“It’s cold,” Was all Momo answered when met with Nayeon’s questioning gaze. “And you’re warm.”

“Cheesy.”

She didn’t move, though.

 

\--

 

Momo really liked Nayeon’s house for some reason. She kept looking around the place like a sparkly-eyed child in an amusement park, checking every picture, every plant, every book with a smile on her face. It would be weird if it was anyone else, but Momo’s excitement was genuine, so Nayeon wasn’t bothered.

“Aw, is this you?” Momo asked, picking up a frame with a baby in the picture.

“Yeah,” Nayeon answered from the kitchen, putting on her apron. “I was a chubby baby.”

“Chubby cheeks!”

“They’re gone now.” Nayeon giggled, and washed her hands.

“You’re still as cute.” Momo muttered, putting the picture down. Nayeon pretended not to hear it, biting the inside of her cheek.

“What you want to you eat?” Nayeon asked, finally ready. She opened her fridge. “I have chicken, beef, rice, vegetables…”

“Yes to all of that,” Momo walked behind her with her hands in her pockets. She smiled fondly at Nayeon. “Give me some vegetables that I can chop. I wanna help.”

“Huh?” Turning around, Nayeon nearly bumped into her. “No, I can cook. You just relax, you’re the guest.”

“But cooking with you will be relaxing,” She retorted with a small pout, swinging back and forward on her heels. “And faster. I’m kinda hungry.”

Nayeon rolled her eyes, but grinned nonetheless poking Momo’s nose. “Fine. Chop the cabbage, then.”

The two started working. Nayeon kept an eye on Momo because she wasn’t sure how good in the kitchen that girl was, but so far, no accidents. She prepared the rice and started marinating the chicken with a special sauce that her grandmother had taught her how to make while Momo chopped the cabbage and onions into thin slices. Soon, the sound of grilling meat rang through the kitchen.

It was the first time in her life that Nayeon had help in the kitchen. She would always want to cook for her guests, surprising them with a nice meal; seeing their satisfied faces afterwards was her happiest moment. She didn’t have many close friends that she could invite over, but the ones that she did always enjoyed Nayeon’s cooking. She smiled at the thought.

Having an extra hand was very helpful now that they were doing this. Nayeon didn’t have to worry about so many things, and she felt a lot more relaxed – maybe that’s what Momo was talking about. Maybe she knew what cooking with a friend felt like. Nayeon wondered if she had done it before.

“So, you like cooking too?” Nayeon broke the comfortable silence.

“Hmhmm,” Momo nodded, paying attention at the knife. “I cook with my sister when she comes over. She taught me everything.”

“I see.” Nayeon turned the chicken in the pan. She giggled by herself at a thought that crossed her mind just then.

“What?”

“Nothing, I just… thought you had cooked with an ex-girlfriend, or something. It’s silly.”

“I never dated anyone.”

Nayeon lifted her head to look at her. “Oh. Wow, never?”

Momo stared too. “Nope. Hard to believe?”

“Well, yeah.” Nayeon let out a nervous laugh.

“Why?”

“I don’t know, you’re just so… likable. And funny and easy to talk to. I thought you’ve had girlfriends before.” She scratched her cheek, embarrassed. “I shouldn’t have assumed anything, sorry.”

“No problem,” Momo smiled, then turned her attention back at the cutting board. “But yeah, you’re my first girlfriend.”

That made Nayeon freeze, her hand stopping midway in the air as she took the chicken off the pan. She licked her lips and chuckled awkwardly. “And I’m not even a real one. That’s sad, huh?”

Momo didn’t say anything and Nayeon started to panic a little. Why wasn’t she saying anything?

“Counts for experience, I guess.” Was all Momo said, in the end. Finally done with the vegetables, she walked over to where Nayeon was standing and put them in the pan. “Here.”

“T-thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Momo sounded distant.

Nayeon felt her chest compressing.

 

\--

 

“This… is so good,” Momo’s mouth was full, nearly leaking with the chicken sauce, and Nayeon had to reach out with a napkin to wipe the corner of her lips.

“Eat first, talk later.”

“Sorry, mom.”

Nayeon rolled her eyes, poking her with her toes. They sat at the kitchen table, too tired to move to the living room; Nayeon wondered if she was getting old for dates, because she was almost dozing off on her plate. She forced herself to remain awake though – she wouldn’t want Momo to think that her presence was boring.

“I’m sorry for the trouble.” Momo apologized after swallowing her food. “Really, I completely forgot about the high schoolers.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nayeon waved her hand. “It’s all good. I like cooking for my friends.”

“I’m happy we came here, though. I got to see another part of you.”

Momo said those things so effortlessly. Nayeon envied this part of her. “Okay, that one was sweet.”

“I mean it, though. I’ve been wanting to get to know you for a long time.” She paused, stuffing her mouth with more cabbage. “Is it weird?”

“No, it’s…” Nayeon stared at her feet. “Me too, actually. Our schedules were always so packed and all, so it was frustrating for a long time.”

“Thank you for taking the first step.”

There was something about the way Momo said that sentence that rubbed Nayeon the wrong way. “What do you mean?”

No answer for a moment as Momo ate another bite of her meal, then she swallowed. “You said I’m likable, but I’m really not. You’ll probably not believe me, but I’m… very shy. Like, _very_ shy. To the point where my sister has to order things for me in restaurants, most times.”

Momo smiled as she said that, but there was no happiness in her features. It was like she was embarrassed of admitting it – a part of her that she was not proud of. Nayeon would never have guessed from this week alone.

“…Wow, that’s…” Nayeon bit her lower lip, then played a bit with the vegetables on her plate, then started to panic because she couldn’t just stop her sentence there. She had to say something, but there was a block hindering her speech.

“Yeah, it’s crazy, right? I m-mean, I guess what I just wanted to say is… that I feel very comfortable with you. Much more so than with anyone. My friends all stayed back at the hometown, so I didn’t have anyone I could talk to, so… t-that’s really all. Sorry, I’m not making much sense, never mind that, okay? It’s dumb—”

“I believe you.” The words finally came out.

“Huh?”

“It’s not dumb,” Nayeon knew what that was like. She knew what being lonely felt like, what trusting someone only for them to move away and never contact you again felt like, what losing your confidence so much that you thought that every single new coworker that landed on your desk would think you were weird and would never want to be your friend felt like. “I understand. It’s hard, and annoying, and you feel so small all the time because everyone else seems to have friends and be normal, and you’re just… that crazy girl who isolates herself from everyone.”

She put her plate down and sighed, rubbing her eyes. Then she looked up at Momo. “It’s not dumb. Thank you for opening up to me. I feel… very comfortable with you, too.”

Living in the big city meant looking up to the sky and being met with darkness. Stars didn’t exist, and the ones that did looked small and lonely, separated from their friends because of the blinding lights. Nayeon was used to the darkness.

At that moment, however, there were entire galaxies in Momo’s gaze as she looked back at her, and smiled. And for once, Nayeon didn’t avert her eyes from the sight.

Hirai Momo was a spectacle of her own. Nayeon didn’t want to miss a single moment.

A sudden exploding sound made both girls yelp, flinching. Soon, the pitter-patter of raindrops could be heard, and more thunder followed. The wind picked up speed out of nowhere, and made leaves knock on the windows, and Nayeon had to get up quickly to close them all.

Momo helped, closing the ones from the other side of the living room, and soon they were safe from the sudden storm.

“Oh, come on, the forecast said nothing about rain!” Nayeon complained, staring down at the soaked wooden floor. Then, Momo started laughing behind her, and she had to turn around. “And what are you laughing about?”

“I don’t have an umbrella.”

It took exactly two seconds for Nayeon to almost offer hers, then to stop and reconsider, because she heard an entire tree branch falling somewhere outside. “An umbrella isn’t going to protect you from this rain.”

“Yeah. I don’t wanna go all Mary Poppins. Flying seems scary.” Momo moved to the kitchen to grab a wiping cloth, then came back, crouching to clean the mess on the floor in front of Nayeon before she could protest. “It’s pretty late, too…”

And Momo could have been the one to suggest it, but she simply quieted down and waited for Nayeon to call the shots on this one. Nayeon, who tried her best to avoid taking things this further, because she felt at the tip of the iceberg, ready to topple down at any second. They still hadn’t sat down and talked like she wanted. They needed to draw lines, raise barriers, be safe – Nayeon needed to be safe. That was what she thought, anyway.

Another loud thunder struck, and Nayeon just sighed. Then, she saw Momo’s trembling hand as she wiped the floor, and realized how fragile she was.

“Sleep here tonight,” It didn’t slip out this time. Nayeon was fully conscious of what she said. “I’ll get you some spare pajamas.”

Momo looked up, eyes wide, but Nayeon was already long gone into her bedroom.

 

\--

 

There was only one problem.

“I don’t mind sharing a bed, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Momo giggled as she left the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her shoulders and hair wet from the shower.

“I’m n-not worried about that.” Nayeon crossed her arms, then turned around to grab spare pillows. “I just... kick at night, sometimes.”

Momo snorted. “That’s all? Bet I can kick harder.”

“It’s not a competition!”

Momo laughed. The window right above the bed made sounds as the wind hit harder, so Nayeon closed the curtains, hoping that the storm would go away soon. Momo asked for a hair dryer and waddled towards the bathroom once Nayeon told her where it was. Watching her being so comfy and wearing one of Nayeon’s pajamas was cute. She groaned, and plopped down on the bed, face-first.

After brushing their teeth and getting comfortable under the blankets, Nayeon turned off the lights. The bed was meant for one person, but two people could fit if they squished together a little. Nayeon wished she wasn’t incredibly aware of Momo’s leg brushing against hers, or the smell of her shampoo impregnating the air – how did Momo manage to make her shampoo smell so good? Nayeon used it every day.

“Do you want me to move away?” Momo’s voice was so low in the darkness. Nayeon could barely hear her.

“No, it’s okay. Are you comfortable?”

“Very.” She took a deep breath, then let it all out in a yawn. “Your bed is very warm.”

“It’s probably just the two bodies in it.” Nayeon chuckled.

“Hmm, you’re very warm.”

Sleepy Momo was dangerous, perhaps. As her eyes got used to the dark, Nayeon stared at Momo’s face for a moment. She seemed to have already passed out, lips parted a bit as she breathed through her mouth, eyes closed and a perfect jawline that shouldn’t be legal. They were so close. If Nayeon stretched her finger, she would probably be able to touch her.

She didn’t.

Nayeon turned around, away from Momo, and tried to chase the sleep that she knew wouldn’t come. She’s been so sleepy a few minutes ago, but now she was wired again, with a thousand things going through her head. She’d never shared a bed with anyone, either. Momo was probably used to it with her sister.

Many impossible scenarios ran through Nayeon’s head as she tried to sleep, and at some point, her brain gave up fighting against itself, and let it go. After countless embarrassing fantasies going around in circles inside her head, Nayeon felt herself dozing off. Everything was very warm.

She woke up in the middle of the night feeling something pressing against her. Her eyelids flickered open and she felt Momo’s legs fitting perfect against her own, and her arms around her torso like they belonged there. It would’ve been awkward if Momo wasn’t whimpering.

“Momo…? You okay?”

“…Mmn. Thunder.” Was all she said.

“Thunder…?”

As if on cue, another loud noise nearly burst her ears, and Momo hugged her tighter, burying herself deeper into Nayeon.

“Oh…” Momo was shaking. Nayeon blinked, thought for a second, and pulled Momo’s arms closer around her. “It’s ok. It’ll pass.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

“…Okay,” She tremors subdued slowly as Nayeon caressed the back of Momo’s hands. “Then I won’t be.”

They laid together like this for a long time in the stillness of the room. The thunder storm passed after a few minutes, and Nayeon felt Momo’s grip loosening. She was finally relaxing, and it made Nayeon calm down as well.

“Thank you.” Momo whispered in the darkness. Nayeon swallowed hard.

“It’s okay. You’re safe.”

“Okay…”

And maybe it was her delirious conscience drifting between the world of dreams and reality, but Nayeon felt something soft pressing to the back of her head. She almost wanted to believe it was a gentle kiss. Exhaustion caught up with her before she could ask, though.

 

\--

 

Momo wasn’t in bed the next day, neither was she around the house. Nayeon found the pajamas she lent her folded neatly on a chair in her room and a simple note with a cute drawing on top attached to it.

_“I’m very sorry for the trouble. I slept very well. My sister called me and told me she was home making a surprise visit today, so I had to leave. Sorry again. See you tomorrow, Nayeonnie.”_

The note looked blurred and Nayeon frowned. When she blinked, a tear fell on the paper, smudging the pretty writing. All Nayeon could do was rub the stupid, useless tears, and pretend not to know why they were falling in the first place.

 

\--

 

“Morning!” Momo’s cheerful voice greeted Nayeon as soon as she walked into the office.

“Hey.” She smiled weakly, hanging up her coat. Nayeon put her bag under the desk, sat on her chair and gazed at the cup of coffee in front of her. It was still warm. Like Momo had memorized the exact time Nayeon took to get to the office so she could prepare her a very hot cup of coffee. Just for her.

The wedding seemed pointless now.

“Hey… can we talk?” Nayeon picked on her nails. Couldn’t even face her.

“Yeah?”

“I think we should stop this.”

You could hear a pin drop in the silence.

“Oh.” Momo spoke first. “Like… the whole pretend to be dating thing?”

“Yeah, that.” Nayeon had to explain. She tried to find something convincing to tell her, but fell short at that. “I’ll just tell my mom that it was a lie. She’ll give me a hard time for four hours at most, then things will just go back to what they were.”

“I see…” Someone’s steps outside made both girls turn to their computers, but no one walked in. Momo brushed her fingers against the keyboard. “Was it… something I did?”

“No. No, that’s not it. I swear.”

“Then…”

“I just—” That was the hard part. Telling her the reason. Explaining why she didn’t want to keep faking this relationship with the sweetest girl she’s ever come across, only to prove something to her family of egocentric rich assholes, and then pretend to break up with her so they could continue being friends.

Even though Nayeon had memorized how Momo’s hand on hers felt; even though she constantly dreamed about the smile Momo had reserved just for dogs; even though Momo’s body pressing against hers at night because she was afraid of thunder was the closest Nayeon had felt of true happiness ever since she left home.

This was the hard part – admitting the truth to herself.

“I just think it’s silly. To keep pretending.” Nayeon’s chuckle was lifeless. “My mom would find out anyway, she’s too observant. So let’s just… go back to being just friends. Okay?”

If someone could convey heartbreak in a word, it was Momo.

“Okay.”

Nayeon wondered if this was how a real breakup felt like.

 

\--

 

Momo didn’t wait for her that night.

There was no coffee on Nayeon’s table the next day.

Their conversations were about work, mostly.

The train rides were painful.

Sleeping was nearly impossible.

 

\--

 

It rained again, one night. With strong winds and thunder that made the windows shake the whole night.

Nayeon almost called Momo to check up on her.

But she didn’t.

 

\--

 

If Nayeon had been to the store with a friend, she could have left the dressing room and asked, ‘What do you think?’ to her companion. She might’ve received some constructive criticism then, like ‘It looks bad’, or ‘Try that other one’. But there was no one she could call to watch her try on pretty dresses for the wedding, so she had to rely on herself and the store attendant.

“What do you think?”

“I think it fits you perfectly!” The attendant, of course, was paid to make her costumers feel happy. “The color brings out your eyes.”

“Thank you.” Nayeon smiled a little, looked in the mirror one last time, then decided to buy it. She didn’t like trying on dresses anyway, so that was just a waste of time and an attempt to please her mother for some reason.

Paying hurt her bank account, but she left the store with a polite nod to the old woman who had helped her.

The bag was heavy. Momo probably would’ve asked to carry it for her.

Momo also would’ve watched her come out of that dressing room with a glint in her eyes. The same one she had when she saw Nayeon’s house for the first time, or the baby pictures. It was different than the excitement she felt around dogs.

It was a look of wonder.

And it was reserved for Nayeon, only.

The realization just made Nayeon almost drop the bag to cry herself dry at the sidewalk.

 

\--

 

 _“Are you coming?”_ Nayeon’s mother didn’t even greet her over the phone.

“Yeah. Almost finished curling my hair.”

_“Good. Don’t be late, your uncle is already here. He wants to see you soon.”_

“Yes, mother.”

 _“I’m also looking forward to meeting your special someone._ ” It was incredibly weird to hear her mother’s voice tone change from cold and calculating to somewhat honest and warm. Nayeon wasn’t used to the feeling.

She just chuckled. “Actually—” No, this would just make them argue over the phone. Nayeon would tell her in person. “Nah. It’s a surprise.”

 _“Oh? You never surprised me.”_ It didn’t mean to come out as a painful slap to her face, but it did anyway. _“I will wait, then. I’ll see you soon.”_

“Bye.”

Hanging up, Nayeon grasped the sides of the sink and sighed. This was already exhausting; she really didn’t want to hear the old woman’s scolding for the rest of the day. It’s not like she had a choice on the matter, though – she had willingly abandoned her only choice of happiness on this day. In a way, Nayeon deserved it.

Nayeon finished curling her hair and applying her make up in ten minutes. Grabbing her purse, she put her phone and wallet in it, together with some lipstick. Nayeon almost took her flask with her, too – it was the only way she’d be able to survive that wedding. The only reason she didn’t was because there would be plenty of alcohol in the after-party anyway.

After making sure everything was in order, she called an Uber and waited on her living room. Knocking her head on the wall, Nayeon closed her eyes for a moment, basking in this momentary feeling of peace. The whole wedding was already pieced inside her head, and she tried to tell herself over and over again that she would endure it, and go back home feeling relieved that it was over, then take a shower, and sleep peacefully.

She knew that it wouldn’t be that way. Regret was swallowing her whole.

At this point, Nayeon just wanted to be able to at least reach the bathroom to cry on her own instead of in front of her family.

Her phone vibrated signaling that her Uber was nearby, and she got up.

And of all unexpected things that could happen on this day, finding Momo on her porch, dressed up on a suit and tie, and carrying a small box in hands, was definitely not one of them. Nayeon nearly tripped on her heels.

“Momo? What—” It was too much to take at once. “What are you doing here?”

“Almost having a panic attack,” Momo chuckled, but her hands were trembling. “I walked all the way here. Wearing this. People stared? I tried not to think about it. Well, one girl did say I looked beautiful. Maybe they were just all in love with me.” She cleared he throat. “B-but anyway, that doesn’t matter. Because I’m not in love with them.”

Nayeon just gaped as Momo stepped closer, cheeks burning.

“You said… that you thought it was silly to pretend. That your mom would find out and all that jazz. Then we stopped talking because I thought it was what you wanted, but— I couldn’t stop thinking about it? About you. At all. I still can’t. So… I decided to— you know. Take the risk? I’m already in a strange city and a bunch of strangers stared at me today and I didn’t die, so it’s worth the try, I guess.”

They were finally close enough to touch. Momo took a deep breath and lifted her gaze. Nayeon was gorgeous. She almost lost her train of thought. “Wow.”

And really, Nayeon couldn’t stop from snorting. “Wow? Really? God, you really are a walking romantic comedy.”

“Y-yeah, I guess I am.” Momo laughed nervously too. “Better finish this before the credits roll, huh?”

“And before my Uber starts honking.”

“Huh?”

“He’s here. Like, staring at us right there.”

Momo turned around and saw the man. He waved, then gestured for them to continue with whatever was happening. Momo nodded at him, appreciating it.

“Right. Okay.” Another deep breath, then she turned back at Nayeon. “Im Nayeon—”

“Hold up, are you gonna ask me to marry you??”

“Wh— no! Just to be my girlfriend!” The proposal was out, and it was the messiest thing Nayeon has ever witnessed in her life. Momo just stuttered. “Wait, n-no, that’s not who it was supposed to—”

Nayeon’s laughter interrupted her once again and Momo just whined. “Nayeonnie!”

“Jesus Christ, Momo, just kiss me.”

The words floated in the air for a second, then Momo gave up and grabbed the back of Nayeon’s neck, pulling her in. Nayeon grasped at the lapels of her suit, drinking from her lips like her entire life depended on it. Denying Momo had been so taxing. And now, she could stop pretending that she hadn’t been in love with that woman since the time she pressed a kiss to the crown of her head before leaving that day.

Their lips danced to an inaudible tune – Nayeon was sure that she could hear the cheesy credits rolling as they kissed. It was warm.

Very much so.

They parted for a second, and Nayeon chased Momo’s mouth again, giggling against her lips. They weren’t even kissing properly anymore, just laughing as they tried to hold all of these emotions that were pouring out.

Then, the Uber driver finally honked.

“Shit, the wedding.” Nayeon had to pull back for real this time. She grabbed Momo’s hand, and the two ran to the car, apologizing to the driver countless times. The man wasn’t even mad, he just needed to pick up other passengers.

“Still think your mom will be suspicious?” Momo asked, fingers intertwined with the woman beside her.

Nayeon just turned to her, smiled, and leaned back in. “Not if we do this throughout the whole ceremony…”

 

\--

 

The only time Momo parted from Nayeon during the party was when her mother asked her to get them some drinks.

“Well,” Mrs. Im said, making Nayeon tilt her head, questioning. Her mother only smiled. “That was a good surprise.”

Nayeon’s eyes trailed Momo’s movements and she softened her gaze, sighing happily. “Tell me about it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on my social media:  
> Twitter: @niigoki_  
> Tumblr: niigoki  
> CuriousCat: curiouscat.me/niigoki


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